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Species › Birds

Little Gull

Hydrocoloeus minutus

Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Laridae
Presence in the Strait
Seasonal
Abundance
scarce
Protection in Spain
Special protection (List)
In Spanish
Gaviota enana

Photograph: Ekaterina Chernetsova (Papchinskaya), CC BY, vía iNaturalist

Length
25–27 cm
Wingspan
70–77 cm
Weight
120 g
020406080LENGTH25–27 cmWINGSPAN70–77 cmcentimetres

Presence in the Strait

Scarce pelagic winter visitor that may be abundant some years during migration.

Identification

The smallest of the gulls, the size of a Black Tern, and the only one with blackish underwings and plain, pale grey upperwings. Juveniles have a similar wing pattern to those of a Kittiwake but smaller and with black flecks on mantle, back and crown.

Movements

Peaks in March and December. Laridae Gaviota Cabecinegra juv.1º inv ad.W ad.E Gaviota Reidora juv.1º inv ad.W juv.1º inv ad.E Gaviota Enana juv.1º inv ad.E ad.W

Bioestrecho editorial text. Last revised: 8 September 2026.

Gallery

Photographs from iNaturalist observations with the licence checked file by file. Those marked “Strait” were taken within the area; place and date are those of each observation.